Generally, conventional materials printers build three-dimensional prototypes of an object by transferring a conventional powdered build material to a build surface in incremental layers. A conventional binder liquid can be selectively deposited on each layer to produce regions of bound powder.
However, conventional three-dimensional prototypes of an object produced using conventional powdered build materials and conventional binder liquids may result in as printed green objects which may be too porous or too dimensionally instable as to certain temperatures and pressures (whether expressed as an excess expansion or contraction or as a rapid deterioration) to utilize in certain applications which require a non-porous surface or an object having dimensions which are stable within a range of temperatures, such as ambient to about 600° F., or which are stable within a range a range of pressures, such as ambient to about 500 pounds per square inch, or changes in temperature or pressure within these ranges, such as the change in temperature and pressure achieved within an autoclave or similar adjustable temperature or pressure containment device. There would be a substantial advantage in using a build material and binder liquid that would result in a substantially non-porous object which does not have to be infiltrated with one or a combination of resins allowing direct utilization without any post-processing treatment.
Additionally, there would be a substantial advantage in providing a build material which could be used with conventional liquid binders to produce as printed green objects in which post-processing treatment is limited to providing a seal to the surface of the as printed green object and avoiding any treatment or infiltration with one or a combination of resins.
Additionally, there would be a substantial advantage in providing a post-processing treatment for as printed green objects created using conventional powdered build materials and conventional binder liquids to provide an object dimensionally stable to a wide range of temperatures such as ambient to 600° F., or at pressures of between ambient to about 500 pounds per square inch, or changes to temperature and pressure within these ranges, such as the change in temperature and pressure achieved within an autoclave or similar adjustable temperature or pressure containment device.